Did you know, tea bags were invented by accident in 1908? (Aren’t the coolest things created by accident! Potato chips, Penicillin, Post-its) Thomas Sullivan from the United States created small silk bags to give samples of tea to his customers but some of them thought they were meant to be placed directly into the pot, like a metal infuser, instead of being poured and emptied out. Thus, Voila! The invention of the tea bag! Also, did you know that there are 4 major types of tea: black, green, oolong and white, but plot twist, they all come from the same plant – the Camellia sinensis – the different types of tea are a result of different ways of treating the plant. Interesting isn’t it? Now that we have all enhanced our tea knowledge, lets find out how to reuse and recycle our tea bags. Each tea bag is filled with fresh, delicious and healthy goodness, so it is only right we do it justice and make the most of it.

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1. Rejuvenate your eyes

The eyes are the windows to your soul so naturally we would want them to be all bright, twinkly and awake. If you are lazy to run out to the local beauty supply store for an eye mask to unwind after a long day at work, just grab some old tea bags and place them over your eyes for a few minutes. Put on some calm, soothing music and let your entire body relax into your bed or sofa. The remaining nutrients and minerals will seep into your skin and relieve dark circles and puffiness. You will feel like a new person after your tea bag treatment.

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2. Get that silky, shiny, wind-blown hair you’ve always wanted

You have definitely seen those people walking down the street with the perfect hair you’ve always wanted. It seems like there is always the perfect amount of wind blowing right in front of their faces; strong enough so that their hair is flowing freely in the wind but not too much that their hair gets all messed up and stuck in their mouths. That hair. That hair just might be achievable with the help of your old tea bags! They can be used as natural alternatives to our conditioners (yay we save money!) to help add nourishment and silkiness to your hair. Just take your old tea bags and brew a weaker tea, cool it and rub it in through your hair after you shampoo. It’ll leave your hair smelling great too!

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3. Ditch the stanky feet!

The feet of a person usually get noticed for either one of two reasons, 1. pretty pedicure or 2. stanky feet. I don’t know about you but I definitely prefer the former. Smelly feet are foes to everyone in the vicinity including yourself (unless your nose is incredibly resistant to strong odors). Some people have smelly feet due to medical conditions and some might’ve just finished a long run in their sneakers, either way you need a way to beat the feet! You could put used tea bags in your shoes to soak up the smell. Or alternatively, you could soak your feet in water with old tea bags. This doubles its use because tea bags are great for detox baths as well. Try these tips out and you will be one step in the right direction. (Pun intended. I’m so funny)

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4. Make DIY Tea Soaps!

Ever had a cup of tea that smelled so amazing and thought ‘I want to smell like that all the time”? Well, have you ever thought of making your favourite tea into soap? Because you can! This will require you to purchase a few items but it is certainly worth it. And with Christmas coming around the corner, nothing says thoughtful and meaningful quite like handmade soap! (you could give Lush a run for their money)

soap or silicone molds (any plastic mold with an inner smooth surface will work too)

microwave safe medium or large mixing bowl

spoons

dough cutter or knife

tea towel

parchment paper and twine (optional)

Lets make some soap!

Look at your moulds and estimate how much soap base you would need to fill it. Use a knife/dough cutter to cut off chunks of the soap base. Note: be careful with the knife, always remember to cut in the direction away from yourself.

Place the soap base chunks into your microwaveable bowl and melt it in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds on high.

Remove the bowl and stir in 1 teaspoon of your chosen tea leaves and 1/2 teaspoon of essential oil into the bowl. (These amounts are estimates but you can play with the dosage according to the size of your soaps as well as how strong you want the scent to be)

Mix the ingredients together until it is evenly mixed.

Pour the soap mixture into your molds and set it aside till it has completely hardened.

Once hardened, pop them out of their molds and wrap in parchment paper and tie it with twine till you are ready to use it. (or giveaway as a gift)

Image Cred: Pana Vasquez on Unsplash

5. Degrease your pots, pans and plates

Most of us love a good hearty meal of fried chicken, mac n cheese, lasagne, pizza and hotdogs. But the resulting dishes from these fried/greasy foods often have a oily and greasy layer over them that can sometimes be nearly impossible to clean. Sometimes it even feels like the more I scrub, the worse it gets. To alleviate this problem, pile up the dishes in your sink and fill it with hot water and throw in some old tea bags to soak. It helps loosen any hard foods and lifts grease so that when you get around to doing the dishes, it’ll be super quick and easy.